How do I feel at the end of the day?
by Totallyquirky
Summary: Angela has a bad start to her week. Told from Matt and Angela's POV.
1. I Don't Like Monday's

**Character/s or pairing: **DS Matt Devlin, Angela

**Rating: **PG13  
**Word Count:** ~5000  
**Disclaimer: **I do not own Law & Order nor it characters/actors. I'm just borrowing them.  
**Summary: **Angela has a bad day, told from Angela's POV.

**A/N:** Another friendship piece about Matt and Angela, mostly done due to nothing to do at work today. I'm not that happy with it but seeing as I spent all day on it and I wrote 5000 words I felt I should put it out there.

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**I don't like Monday's**

Ange got out of bed and dragged herself to the shower. Today was going to be long and painful, but then again the weekend had been long and painful so maybe getting paid when you felt like shit would make it a little less awful.

She'd so been looking forward to Friday night, on Tuesday she'd got her haircut, Wednesday she went out and got a pair of shoes and Thursday night gave herself a manicure and pedicure, Friday night was going to be perfect, dinner with him, drinks after the play and he'd even suggested perhaps meeting up with his friends.

She'd been seeing him for about four months, when shift patterns allowed and in that time she had bounced between contentment and neurosis more times than she cared to count, now though she knew why, he'd never made her feel comfortable, she was always trying too hard, trying to be the girl he wanted her to be.

The hot water felt good against her skin, she didn't think she could face the office, not when she might run into him. Holding her face under the spray so she couldn't tell what were tears, she mentally 'cowboyed' up.

She was stronger than this, she didn't need him and his lame excuses. She would go in and show him that she didn't care. That her upset on Friday night had been down to it being a sensitive time of the month and that the weekend had given her time to reflect that she was much better off without him.

She was. Honest.

The office seemed quiet, like she was an exotic fish in a huge glass bowl and people kept watching her, they weren't, in fact she was pretty sure that nobody knew. He'd asked that she not tell anyone, "it's hard enough having a relationship in this job let alone everyone commenting and knowing your business", she'd agreed, she didn't want _everyone_ to know but it would have been nice if she could have mentioned who she was seeing rather than every time she said something to the girls downstairs they shared looks that suggested she was making him up.

She grabbed the first file in her intray and skimmed the case, good CCTV, hours of watching boring footage looking for the proverbial needle in the metaphorical haystack.

She asked Jimmy on the desk to bring up the box of discs claiming backache for not wandering downstairs to get it as usual.

"Ooo Ange, good weekend was it." She can hear the smirk.

"Yeah, something like that." That and I have no desire to move from my desk in case I see him.

She found what they were looking for, the usual lie about where the suspect was at the time of the crime. When were these idiots going to learn, there are eyes everywhere.

She looks at the clock on her PC, twelve exactly, she didn't think she could stomach much, she'd skipped breakfast too and couldn't summon up the energy to move from her desk.

She took a quick look at her inbox and there, three emails down was his name, taunting her. Her first instinct was to hit delete but he could be asking her to do something after all this was work, then a traitorous tiny flicker of hope blossomed, maybe he regretted what he'd done and was emailing her to tell her.

Logic said otherwise, but she clicked the mouse anyway her common sense not prevailing.

"_Angela,_

_Please could you go over the telephone calls made to Madeleine Jones on the 4 evenings prior to her death. _

_Many thanks,"_

Nothing.

Nada.

ZIP!

Not even a "hope you're okay." It was like Friday hadn't happened. She was numb, shock rendered her frozen. Had she really been that blind? Was he really that cold?

A familiar waft of aftershave brought her round and before she could pull herself together Matt plonked himself at the edge of her desk.

"Could you look at some phone records for me?"

She nodded not trusting herself to speak, her eyes fixed on the medallion peeking out of his shirt.

"Ange, you okay?"

She nodded again and this time forces her lips into a smile. She pushes a croaky "yes" up through her throat but realises too late that her vision is blurring a little. She doesn't dare blink but looks about for somewhere to disappear to, the ladies loos? How cliché.

"Go and put the kettle on Ange." Matt's voice cuts through her thoughts giving her a direction to head for as she pushes herself forwards propelled by Matt's hand on her arm. She's distantly aware of the other lads in the office, telling Matt to move his backside and make it himself, and throwing in a couple of drink orders.

She fills the kettle, her hand gripping the handle tense with emotion And she can feel Matt moving around behind her, closing the door.

"What's wrong?" His voice is soft and she realises too late that she can't deal with nice, nice means turning this into something real. Nice means no witty banter or flirty comments. Nice means she might just cry.

"Ange turn round, please?"

She feels Matt step closer and put a cold hand on her arm, she jumps and the feel of the icy appendage.

"You should wear gloves in the office."

"You know what they say, cold hands warm heart." She doesn't comment and she pretty sure she now knows the meaning of a deafening silence. He breaks it, Matt's never been much good at being quiet. "Why are you upset, has something happened at home? Is it your Dad?" he looks so troubled and his eyes are wide with concern that she can't hold it in.

"No, he finished with me. Over the phone." She realises in that moment what has been causing her the pain. Not the end itself, just the way he did it.

She can sense his confusion, Matt didn't even know she was seeing anyone. She made a promise that she wouldn't tell _'that pretty boy Devlin'_ about them and she had said she would have to tell him at some point – Matt wasn't an idiot - but would keep it from him until then. He'd grudgingly accepted the deal.

"Who did?"

She shakes her head in embarrassment, she doesn't want to tell Matt who she was seeing not now, but in for a penny in for a pound. She's already crying in the station kitchen, she can't fall much farther at this point.

"Andy."

"Andy?" He mutters the name over and over again, like he is trying to recall all of their conversations to see when he missed this piece of information.

"I didn't tell you about him. He asked me not too." She draws a shaky breath trying to get herself under control again.

He looks a little hurt at that but it's gone in a flash and he goes back to looking confused and then his face darkens. "Not DS Andy Winnett, Andy?"

Nodding, she realises that she's stopped crying, waiting to see his reaction.

"When did you two- why didn't I- why didn't you-" he waves his arms around hopelessly before dropping them to his sides in defeat.

She shrugs, it seemed okay not to tell at the time, she was doing what he wanted, making him happy. Not telling Matt straight away was a compromise, but now she knows why she didn't like it, why it didn't feel right compromising on that. Matt would have given it to her straight. Matt would have had her back, someone else he'd have been answerable too.

Some poor shmuck dares to open the kitchen door and Matt wastes no time "This is a private conversation, use the one downstairs." Whoever it is doesn't argue and just closes the door as they beat their hasty retreat.

"Okay, you need to give me a rundown." She can almost hear a _young lady_ tagged onto it.

"We started seeing each other a few months ago, just dates you know, nothing serious." It wasn't. "Anyway on Friday he was taking me to a play I wanted to see."

"A Woman of No Importance."

She nods, trust Matt to remember although she _had _been going on about for ages, especially when she had heard Rupert Graves would be in it.

"Anyway, we were going to have dinner, then see the play and maybe have drinks with his friends afterwards."

There is a lull and Matt urges her on. "Did you have a barney?"

She just shakes her head "I got all dressed up, it's been ages since I found the time to go to the theatre and well I wanted to look nice."

Matt smiles, "Ah that explains the shopping spree last week and the nail polish."

She hates working with detectives nothing ever goes unnoticed.

"Well yeah, anyway, I got to the restaurant and-"

Matt stops her mid flow "Hang on, what do you mean, _you_ got to the restaurant?"

"I was meeting him there as he was coming straight from his shift." She knows Matt has certain idea's about how you treat a woman. They are sweet and definitely appreciated but he can't expect every guy to follow the same rules.

He shakes his head but lets her carry on. "-anyway that doesn't matter, he calls to tell me that his shift ran over and that he'll have to meet me at the theatre instead. So I went there to wait for him."

"What did you do about food?"

"Maccy d's on the way." She can tell Matt is even less impressed but she forges ahead now on a roll and no longer teary.

"Anyway I get to the theatre and wait, and wait, so I phoned him to find out what had happened, he didn't answer and he didn't turn up, I missed the play. I get another phone call when I'm at home basically saying that he doesn't want-" her voice cracks and she really thought she wasn't going to cry this time. She tries again "-that he doesn't want to see me again." It's real, she's told someone, someone else knows. It's a relief and vomit educing all at once.

Matt just pulls her too him. She can tell his pissed off just by how tense his body is but his voice is soft as he tells coos stuff that she already knows, but are still nice to here and holds her firmly, allowing her just to rest a little.

The door opens again and this time Matt tells whoever it is to "Piss off."

"I mostly certainly will not Matty." It's Ronnie and Ange is ten kinds of grateful because she is pretty sure Matt is promptly going to lose his shit and she's not sure she could stop him. Ronnie will keep him from doing anything stupid. She hopes.

Ronnie isn't a detective for nothing and quickly assesses that neither of them should be found hugging in the staff kitchen, "Go get some lunch both of you." She nods gratefully, and pulls herself away from Matt and the comforting heat of his body semi aware that if she felt better she would be appreciating all this a'hell of a lot more than she is at the moment. Damn Andy for ruining something else.

Matt pushes her towards the ladies, and makes a detour around the office to pick up her coat and bag from her desk before grabbing his own.

One of the girls from the desk is in the ladies loo reapplying her make-up and cocks her head at her as she splashes water on her face.

"Everything alrigh'?"

"I'm going out for lunch with DS Devlin." Is all she says in response and Nikki smiles.

" I don't think I'd look quite so upset at _that_ prospect love."

True and usually she wouldn't but Matt is going to tell her a load of stuff she doesn't want to hear yet. She isn't ready for home truths, she liked the bubble she was in on Sunday, the bubble where he would realise that he liked her and that he'd made a mistake. Where she would get to work and there'd be a bunch of flowers waiting on her desk with an apology.

She is well aware that makes her deluded and probably a lot of other things she doesn't want to think about right now. Straightening her clothes and moping her face with a scratchy paper towel, she sighs. She still looks like she's been crying, but it'll have to do.

Nikki is still looking at her, studying her. "Whoever it is babe they ain't worth it." Ange can't speak, does she have 'REJECTED' stamped on her forehead? She nods like she knows it's true. "Look, you can't go out to lunch with DS Delicious with tear stained cheeks and puffy eyes."

Before Angela has a chance Nikki descends on her with concealer and mascara. Ange does protest rather half heartedly but it's nice to be fussed over and the fact Nikki keeps up a constant stream of babble for the entire 3 minutes is actually kind of soothing.

Nikki steps back like an artist admiring their next masterpiece. "Done." Ange steals a glance in the mirror and is pleased to find that she looks much better. Her eyes are still puffy, but more in that big night out kind of way rather than the weeping into her pillow look she was wearing a moment ago. Nikki pulls out some pink lip gloss and Ange balks.

"Not very me Nikki."

"Nonsense, it'll look nice on you, you've got the right skin tone to pull off girly colours." She doesn't listen to any protests just slicks in onto Ange's lips and pulls out the hairband Ange shoved in this morning. "Most girls would kill for your curls and you stick 'em all up on ya 'ead." She roots around in her make–up bag for a clip "I use this to hold my hair off my face when I do my make-up but it'll do the trick" she pulls Ange's hair off her face at the front and pops in the clip, the rest left hanging. "There, pretty as a picture."

Angela supposes she looks okay, bit dressy for work and her make-up is now completely at odds with the clothes she threw on this morning. She doesn't have much of a choice though as Nikki bustles her out of the ladies and into the corridor where Matt is waiting.

Matt quirks an eyebrow at her in question to her quickie makeover, she just rolls her eyes in return.

"Have fun you two." Nikki is positively gleeful. "Oh and Ange?" She knew she shouldn't turn around but she's always been too polite "If you can't be good be careful." Nikki cackles off finding the hilarity in the fact she is the station flirt and it's no secret that Nikki would sell her own grandmother to get a date out of Matt.

Matt just laughs good naturedly and pulls her out of the station while simultaneously helping her into her coat.

Lorenzo delivers the food and winks suggestively at Ange, as usual she pretends to studiously ignore him and still manages to blush and just for a little while everything seems totally normal, especially with Matt opposite her looking undeniably handsome and prattling on.

"Alright, quickly while no one from work is in here." There is someone but they're sitting at the stools at the back looking shifty, probably speaking to their bit on the side and Matt dismisses him leaning forward to speak to her. "Dish it Ange. How long were you seein' him?"

She wants to pout and tell him to work it out, after all he's the big detective but she can't, Matt is her mate and now he knows she needs to tell him all of it.

"Four months. But like I said we only went on dates when our shifts matched up so probably only two months."

Matt looks sort of peeved and she isn't sure that it's just her keeping this from him that's done it. "Ange four months is four months and I'm sorry but shift patterns are a pain but you don't let that stop you from spending time with someone." He shovels some more calzone into his mouth and chews contemplatively. "Well at least you can still go see the play with someone else. He wasted his money at the end of the day." Matt looks a little happy at that and Ange can't hide her blush of humiliation.

"Oh Ange, you didn't?"

Her skin must be hot to the touch. "Didn't what?"

"Buy the tickets?"

"It is the 21st century Matt, women can pay for things. In fact it's considered good manners."

He doesn't take the outburst personally. "Not when it's a date to a play your girl wants to see."

"Well guess what Matt, some of us _girls_ don't have a choice, we don't all end up with prince fucking charming!"

"Okay, I wasn't bein' like that, all I mean is you need to start expecting better from blokes. You're worth so much more than you think you are. I do get it, you wanted to see it and he isn't the kind of guy to buy tickets to a play but that's when you don't go with him. You go with a mate or your mum, don't waste your money on someone who isn't worth it."

"I thought he was." she hates having her judgement called into question. She feels stupid, like that awkward fourteen year old again.

Matt reaches across the table to squeeze her hand. "I know." And he does, he is gentle no condescending and she is grateful for that. "See this is why you should have told me. Anyway why didn't he want me to know?"

"He didn't want _anyone_ to know, said he didn't like people at work knowing his business." Matt gets a look on his face that makes Ange uneasy but he brightens easily and moves the conversation on.

"So what did he say exactly?"

"When?"

"When he ended it like the spineless tw-" a little old Italian lady at the table next to them shoots him a look and Matt corrects himself. "-twerp that he is."

"Oh, just you know, I'm a nice girl but his shifts are tricky to have a relationship around and that it's not fair on me." Matt has that unreadable look on his face again which she finds disturbing as she can usually tell what he is thinking.

"So basically he talked a lot of shit." This time he ignores that disapproving tut about his language from the lady at the next table. "So he didn't have to sound like the bad guy, should have told you all that before you bought the tickets."

Ange squirms in her seat, Matt is good at telling it like it is, that doesn't mean she wants to hear it. "Well his shifts are really obnoxious and police officers do tend to have bad relationships, you can't deny that you find it difficult. Look at Ronnie, he's been married twice."

"Yeah because he was a raging alchy who cheated on his misses."

She tries to look shocked at his bluntness but fails miserably. "Well okay not a good example. You haven't settled down."

Like that proves her point.

"We're really doing this are we? Alright, I'm messed up and scared that I'll turn into me Dad, plus I do a job that tells me people really shouldn't reproduce." Matt is a psycho-analysts dream.

She pauses before she answers him "Yeah you really are fucked."

The lady next to them has obviously given up caring.

He laughs at that and she's kind of proud of herself that she has managed to attempt their normal banter. She straightens up knowing she is going to have to 'fess-up' to Matt the whole truth. "He was phoning me from the pub."

There is a half chewed piece of dough in Matt's mouth, it's positively the most unattractive thing she's ever seen him do. He recovers himself quickly. "The prick called you from the pub? He left you standing about while he was on his _'shift'_ then calls you from the pub to dump you?" His voice reaches a couple of octaves higher. "The fucker needs a lesson in manners. I've never liked him."

That much is true, DS Winnett and Matt have been at odds from day one apparently. She suspects Andy doesn't like Matt because everyone else loves Matt. Matt probably doesn't like Andy on the principal that he'd never met anyone that he couldn't charm and therefore immediately thought Andy was weird.

"You're better off without him. Isn't that what I'm supposed to say in this situation?"

He screws up his nose a little at the tired cliché and polishes off the last of his calzone, pushing the plate aside and pulling Ange's Lasagne into the middle of the table and makes in roads into that. "You gotta eat something babe."

She smiles "I'm not really that hungry, I think my tummy is throwing a revolt."

His face softens and he gives her a little smile and wink. He tells her about their latest case to distract her for a little while and she is grateful, for all of Matt's candour he knows when you've had enough.

In a moment Ronnie is standing by their table and the place suddenly seems to have become packed with the Lunchtime rush. "Come on sunshine move round." He jolly's Matt out of his chair and Ange sits back and watches amused as Matt gets all pissy and whiny at Ronnie bossing him about, he charms the spare chair from the lady next to them and plonks himself next to Ange and carries on eating like nothing has happened. The whole thing takes less than two minutes. Ronnie winks conspiratorially at her.

She hears a horribly familiar voice. Oh god. He had to come in here, he never eats here. The world hates her. She looks at Matt and she can see him thinking inventive uses for his fork.

Ronnie distracts them for a bit making small talk while Lorenzo brings over his order to take away and now she can feel a lot of eyes looking at their table.

Ronnie stands, stretching making a big show about getting up for someone who is usually so understated. Matt's looking a little nonplussed but there is a quick non-verbal exchange and suddenly Ange realises why suspects don't stand a chance with these two, they're so good at reading each other that they only talk just to give the rest of the world a chance to catch up with them.

Matt shifts a little closer and rests his arm on the back of her chair. She shoots him a look but he has picked up a free newspaper and is flicking through that.

Ronnie throws on his coat "Well I guess I'll see you two back at the office." He wags his finger at the pair of them "behave yourselves."

Matt looks offended "Ronnie, am I ever anything but well behaved." Ronnie raises an eyebrow "okay, well Ange is here to keep me in line, aren't you sweetheart." He is totally in her personal space and it takes a beat before she gets what they're doing.

Ronnie waves at them as he passes the window and she leans in to hiss at matt "What on earth are you playing at."

He tries for the butter wouldn't melt look that probably would work if she were a rookie.

"Don't you dare Devlin."

"Okay, well trust me, as a bloke, the worst thing to see is that the girl we thought was hung up on us has actually moved on."

She doesn't know whether to kiss him for being so sweet that he actually thinks Andy would buy what they're selling or slap him for making her look like she jumps from one guy to the next. She steals a look over at the queue and Andy is looking over, a little questioning frown in place.

Okay so it does feel good, only a little mind you.

Matt smiles knowingly at her. Smartarse.

"Okay so you win, but you know this is going to spread like wildfire."

His grin is unabashed "I should hope so, I hate tame gossip about me."

She rolls her eyes at him. Completely bloody shameless.

She can't help but enjoy leaving the Cafe with Matt, he plays it for all his worth. Helping her on with her coat, making a show of paying (even though he always buys her lunch when they eat together), guiding her out of the cafe with a hand on the small of her back. She is basically completely flustered for about five minutes but welcomes every second of it, it's fun.

She has no idea if Andy is looking and would love to catch a glimpse but before she can turn her head Matt leans in and whispers in her ear.

"Laugh like I've said something dirty."

She is momentarily floored, she doesn't have a clue how to fake that kind of laugh on the spot but Matt helps her out by squeezing her waist eliciting a giggle that shouldn't ever happen in public and Matt can make absolutely anything look suggestive, she'd like to die about now.

She hears a muttered "Devlin and Ange?" and she doesn't care anymore. Matt turns and makes like he didn't know anyone was watching.

"Alrigh' lads, see you back at the station."

They get outside and he keeps her tucked against his side, she's grateful for the support.

She feels a little light headed and the sharp snap of the winter wind steals her breath away.

"Feel better?"

"Yeah, I do actually. It was kind of good to stick it in his face." She gets a guilty feeling. "Is that bad?"

Matt looks at her knowingly, "Nah, he needed it shoved somewhere, his face is far more polite then where I was thinking." Grinning they head back to the station.

About twenty feet from the station Matt remembers an errand he has to run and asks Ange to tell Ronnie that he'll be as quick as he can.

She doesn't see either of them for the rest of the day, they're out casing leads and probably getting pissed off.

She is just packing up her stuff when there is a cough from behind her and for a moment she thinks she might not turn around but she catches a glimpse in her computer screen and sees that damn awful checked grey shirt. "Yes?"

Matt pulls something out from his inside pocket, and envelope holding it out to her. She takes it from him, opening it.

Two tickets to A Woman of No Importance.

She looks questioningly at him.

He just smiles and look so unwaveringly like Matt that she doesn't expect what comes next.

"Men always want to be a woman's first love. That is their clumsy vanity. We women have a more subtle instinct about things. What we like is to be a man's last romance."

Ange considers him for a moment "You've read Oscar Wilde?"

He stares back before grinning, "I read Google."

She laughs and feels a rush of affection for the man opposite her, he's smiling and looking a bit nervous. "Look you can take a girlfriend if you'd rather but I thought you, me and some culture might be fun. I've got to start my shift that night but what do ya say?"

It's not a date, it's better than that. It'll be her and Matt (and Rupert Graves) having a great time. No possible date could try to compare.

She smiles and says she'd love too.

"Result." He beams at her. "I'll swing by here to meet you about six? We can walk up there together." She knows this is how Matt treats all women but she lets herself enjoy it. "Oh and I expect to see those shoes you kept sneaking a look at on Wednesday afternoon."

She rolls her eyes, but she appreciates that he wants to give her the night out she had planned even if it's not the guy she planned it with.

**Epilogue**

He turns up that Friday evening looking like a fantasy, navy blue suit (not one she's ever seen before), crisp white shirt, his black dress coat slung over his arm and a bunch of flowers. She thought he meant to meet her outside, but he actually makes his way up to the office while she is trying to balance on her heels.

She doesn't know where to put herself – she has a few ideas but not in the office, or ever in fact –when he passes her the flowers with a beaming smile, "You might have to leave those here unless you wanna piss the people off behind us."

The office is all agog and there is a delighted hush. She is pretty sure that they are lapping this up but for once being centre of attention isn't bothering her. Matt is being Matt and this isn't half as weird as she had been worrying about.

DI Chandler wanders in and looks at the pair of them. Looking at Matt she questions "You aren't on shift for another six hours?"

He smiles, "We're off to the theatre."

Ange can't help adding. "Just as friends." Even the DI has a smirk at that. Ange kind of wishes her slight crush on Matt wasn't so obvious. This really is just a friend thing.

Someone in the squadroom laughs "Devlin doesn't know how to do _friends_ with anyone who has tits." There is a bark of laughter and even she has to giggle mostly at Matt's indignant face.

"Do to." He lifts his chin, nose in the air and he turns, grabbing Ange's hand and tugging her along. Just as he gets them to the door he turns, face full of mischief "I'm friends with Ronnie ain't I?"

He giggles his way through the corridor leaving the squadroom laughing.

She might have hated Monday but her Friday is definitely looking up.

**THE END**

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Thank you for reading.


	2. we're gonna be on the same road

**Character/s or pairing: **DS Matt Devlin, Angela

**Rating: **PG13  
**Word Count:** ~5000  
**Disclaimer: **I do not own Law & Order nor it characters/actors. I'm just borrowing them.  
**Summary: **Angela's bad day, told from Matt's POV.

**A/N1:** Another friendship piece about Matt and Angela, I posted the first part but wasn't happy with it, I realised it was because I wasn't hearing Matt's voice in the piece. So this is the same story told from Matt's perspective.

I have linked up the dialogue but there will be places where it's not completely mirrored – this is because I wanted to make sure they don't always get each other's facial expressions or meanings. They interpret differently as people do in real-life.

Also I had a review that mentioned Matt being old fashioned and on a re-read I agree, he was but I hope hearing it from his POV now makes him less ol' fashioned and more the Matt that we see on screen.

**A/N2:** Italics are Matt's direct thoughts and you may find scattered a few gonna/kinda/wanna – this done on purpose to mimicks Matt's accent, I have left too many in but it's not just my bad grammar.

Thank you for reading.

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**Everywhere we go we're gonna be on the same road**

Matt looks over at Angie again, usually by now they've had a chat in the kitchen, discussed the weekend, Ange taking ample opportunity to tease him about any dark circles, blood shot eyes or unfortunately places bite marks.

But so far, nothing, the only thing he got this morning was a mumbled "Hey Matt."

He toys with the idea of going over to ask what's wrong but it's eleven and The Guv wants progress reports on three outstanding cases by lunchtime.

_Oh the joy. _

The next time Matt looks at the clock its midday and he has some new evidence on an assault case which could wait but it gives him the perfect excuse to wander over to Ange who seems to be lost in CCTV.

Matt moves round the few feet to Angela's desk, she is just sat staring at her inbox.

"Could you look at some phone records for me?"

She lifts her head but not her eyes, barely nodding.

"Ange, you okay?"

This time she looks at his face and he knows, regardless of the pathetic attempt at a smile, that something is mostr definitely wrong. Her eyes are filling with tears and he watches as she looks around frantically for somewhere to hide.

He'd suggest the ladies toilets but he won't be able to talk to her then, _kitchen_. He is aware of trying not to draw attention to Angie's plight so orders her off to make him a cuppa. That's not likely to raise suspicion. He ignores the remarks about his lazy arse and follows Ange.

There are two people in there with Ange as he enters but an eyebrow raise later and they scoot out, letting him shut the door for privacy. He flips two of the lads off for a couple of inappropriate remarks although he is pretty sure Ange doesn't hear them.

He watches her back as she fills the kettle, she's got a death grip on the handle like it's the only thing keeping her upright.

"What's wrong?" He keeps his voice soft and low, mimicking his training for when talking to victims. Ange appears not to hear him. "Ange turn round, please?"

He steps closer and reaches out a hand to gently place on her arm.

_Physical contact can help ground your victim,s unless you are dealing with an assault._ He can hear the voice of his academy trainer.

He steps back when she startles at his touch.

"You should wear gloves in the office." It comes out choked but at least she is talking.

His smile is small, he always has cold hands, "You know what they say, cold hands warm heart." She doesn't say anything and he starts to worry. There is an awkward pause and Matt searches around for something else to say, thinking about what could have upset his Ange like this.

"Why are you upset, has something happened at home? Is it your Dad?" He's been dreading this day, the day when Ange would come in and tell him that her Dad had got worse. He never knows what to say in those situations. She starts to cry and his heart sinks. Oh god, he's crap at this sort of thing.

Her voice is thick with emotion which he ignores so he can listen to her. "He finished with me."

Her dad? That makes no sense. "Who did?"

There are proper tears now, but she doesn't seem to want comforting and Matt's kind of pleased, he'd like to understand the cause before he tries his best to handle the symptoms. She shakes her head, her cheeks colouring and chest getting blotchier and he realises that not only is she upset but embarrassed.

She should never be either of those things and he is just the tiniest bit angry now at whoever's fault this is.

"Andy." She croaks out a name, like he should know who the hell she's talking about. He thinks for a bit, repeating the name trying to find somewhere in this brain of his an Andy him and Agne have in common.

"I didn't tell you about him. He asked me not too." But they tell each other everything?

_Okay stop acting like a teenage girl Devlin, Man up_.

She's stopped crying or at least the tears have dried up and suddenly the cold creep of dread passes over him.

_Oh she didn't_.

"Not DS Andy Winnett, Andy?"

_Oh my god, what the hell?_!

"When did you two- why didn't I- why didn't you-" he's so confused right now, and peeved, why doesn't he now know?

She just shrugs, looking so completely defeated that he can't think of anything to say. Well there is a lot he could say but mostly it involves asking her what on earth she was doing with a prize twat like Andy Winnett and he's sort of sure she doesn't need that.

Some idiot opens the door.

_Closed for a reason pillock_.

"This is a private conversation, use the one downstairs." They buy a clue pretty quickly because the door shuts and they're left in peace again.

She is sniffing and Matt would be slightly disgusted by the sound it didn't make Ange sound so exposed.

"Okay, you need to give me a rundown." He doesn't add, about what drugs you were taking at the time.

She takes a gulp of air and seems to steady herself. "We started seeing each other a few months ago, just dates you know, nothing serious. Anyway on Friday he was taking me to a play I wanted to see."

Matt remembers now, well he didn't know it was a date but he remembers her going on and on about it and some bloke in it. "A Woman of No Importance."

"We were going to have dinner, then see the play and maybe have drinks with his friends afterwards."

She pauses like that answers the question of why she is crying in the station kitchen, Matt urges her on. "Did you have a barney?"

Shaking her head she carries on. "I got all dressed up, it's been ages since I found the time to go to the theatre and well I wanted to look nice."

Matt smiles, _my god and I call myself a detective_. "Ah that explains the shopping spree last week and the nail polish."

She screws her nose up at him and gives him a slightly petulant look. "Well yeah, anyway, I got to the restaurant and-"

_What?_

"Hang on, what do you mean, _you_ got to the restaurant?"

She gives him some half hearted answer about Winnett having to come straight from his shift and gives Matt has confirmation as to why Ange shouldn't be near guys like that.

And yes he is well aware that makes him a complete hypocrite as he asked Stephanie, no Susan, no Samantha – _(oh screw it)_ he'll check his phone later for the details – to meet him at the restaurant the other night, but sod it! This is Ange and she deserves some nice guy who's going worship the ground she walks on. He just shakes his head until she says she headed to the theatre.

"What did you do about food?"

_McDonalds? Oh Andy, just you wait my friend, retribution is comin'._

"Anyway I get to the theatre and wait, and wait, so I phoned him to find out what had happened, he didn't answer and he didn't turn up, I missed the play. I get another phone call when I'm at home basically saying that he doesn't want-" her voice cracks but she tries again "-that he doesn't want to see me again." She looks a bit ill but then he can't blame her.

_Winnett is gonna regret the day he met Matt Devlin. _

He is dreaming up ways to maim the pillock that hurt his Ange as he pulls her to him, letting her fall against him.

He hears the click of the latch on the door open "Piss off."

"I mostly certainly will not Matty." _Oh, it's Ronnie_. Belatedly it occurs to Matt that it could have easily been The Guv and he breathes a sigh of relief. Ronnie packs him and Ange off to get some lunch and the minute he gets Ange out into the harsh light of the office he can see she needs to wash her face.

He pushes her towards the ladies loo and grabs their things before giving Ronnie a brief synopsis of what's happened, although Ronnie doesn't look quite so shocked at the news.

"I knew she was seeing someone but I didn't know it was that little twerp." And with that he pushes his specs back onto his nose and turns back to the computer.

Waiting in the corridor he feels something heavy settle in his gut and he knows he is going have to give it to Ange straight. Why couldn't she have picked someone else, like Paul on the desk downstairs. He's a good guy, takes part in the station five-a-side, good laugh, definitely has a thing for Ange.

The door to the ladies opens and Angela is pushed out by Nikki, looking much better, no tear stained cheeks, her hair is down – which she never does – and what looks like lipstick. Nikki maybe the world's most incorrigible flirt but she does have a good heart and Matt will buy her a coffee this afternoon (if he's about) to say thanks for helping Ange out, although he downgrades the offer to a coke after _that_ comment to Ange, despite how funny it is.

Matt watches as Ange blushes when Lorenzo delivers the food and winks at her as usual. He takes another look about the cafe and sees that apart from a detective from Vice chatting to his girlfriend – probably about why he hasn't left his wife yet – they're police free.

"Okay, quickly while no one from work is in here." Ange flicks her head in the DS's direction and he dismisses it with a quick shake, leaning forward "Dish it Ange. How long were you seein' him?"

She throws him a look that reminds him of Danny when Mel tells him no more biscuits before dinner.

"Four months. But like I said we only went on dates when our shifts matched up so probably only two months."

_Right, so he only called her when he had nothing else on, fucking charmer, deep breaths._ "Ange four months is four months and I'm sorry but shift patterns are a pain but you don't let that stop you from spending time with someone." He hopes that wasn't too blunt but he doesn't want to bullshit her, he cares about her too much for that.

_Lorenzo has outdone himself today on this Calzone._

He thinks about Ange's situation some more and guesses that focusing on a few positives might make her feel better the guy obviously meant to take her whenever they arranged the date, he paid for the tickets and they don't come cheap, and it's not like it was Ange's one and only opportunity to see the play.

"Well at least you can still go see the play with someone else. He wasted his money at the end of the day." He smiles and sees Ange blush and he gets that horrible feel of dread back.

"Oh Ange, you didn't?"

"Didn't what?"

_Don't play dumb with me missus, it doesn't suit you. _

"Buy the tickets?"

"It is the 21st century Matt, women can pay for things. In fact it's considered good manners."

Matt realises she has a point but she's missing the one he's trying to make "Not when it's a date to a play your girl wants to see."

She deflates a little and he feels bad but he isn't sure why.

"Well guess what Matt, some of us _girls_ don't have a choice, we don't all end up with prince fucking charming!"

Matt watches as she sails way past the point he was making, he wasn't saying that.

"Okay, I wasn't bein' like that, all I mean is you need to start expecting better from blokes. You're worth so much more than you think you are."

It really winds him up when she gets this way about herself, he knows that a lot of their conversations come down to one telling the other how much they're worth but he needs her to understand that whoever told her she wasn't worth anything was a total wanker and a complete lia, as he keeps telling her, she's too good for this earth. "Fair enough I get it, you wanted to see it." And he does get it, you can't sit around hinting and then miss it because the guy is an idiot, but there are other options and usually Ange would see that. "He isn't the kind of guy to buy tickets to a play, but that's when you don't go with him. You go with a mate or your mum, don't waste your money on someone who isn't worth it."

"I thought he was." She sounds so young and un-Angela that he doesn't know whether to hug her or give her a kick up the bum.

Matt reaches across the table to squeeze her hand. "I know, see this is why you should have told me." _Because then I would have told you much earlier that he was treating you like crap and you could have dropped him_. "Anyway why didn't he want me to know."

_So not the point_, Matt thinks to himself but he does want to know.

"He didn't want anyone to know, said he didn't like people at work knowing his business."

_Fucking arsehole_. _Didn't want anyone to know he was seeing Ange? Luckiest the guy has ever got._

Matt knows that Ange wouldn't fit Andy's usual type (they usually look like glamour models and have the brain capacity of a gnat) and the whole of that unit were all about image but Matt knew there wasn't a guy in the station who didn't like Ange and what's more they all respected her.

_Didn't want anyone to know. Yeah so when you finally hurt her people wouldn't hurt you. Twat. _

"So what did he say exactly?"

"When?"

"When he ended it like the spineless tw-" a little old Italian lady at the table next to them shoots him a look that reminds him of his Nan. "-twerp that he is."

"Oh, just you know, I'm a nice girl but his shifts are tricky to have a relationship around and that it's not fair on me."

He wants to storm back and plow his fist straight into Winnett's face. He's a guy, he knows the codes, how to read in between the lines, what's being said underneath it all.

"So basically he talked a lot of shit." Ignoring the disapproving tut about his language from the lady at the next table. "So he didn't have to sound like the bad guy, should have told you all that before you bought the tickets."

_To think Ange wasted good money on him. _

"Well his shifts are really obnoxious and police officers do tend to have bad relationships, you can't deny that you find it difficult. Look at Ronnie, he's been married twice."

"Yeah because he was a raging alchy who cheated on his misses." Fair enough there are extenuating circumstances to both of those things and Ronnie does actually get on with the second Mrs Brookes still, and to be honest the first Mrs Brookes sounds like such an old battleaxe that Matt is fairly sure even if Ronnie was a nine-to-five man that marriage wouldn't have lasted. Plus the alcohol had nothing to do with his affair and his affair actually had nothing to do with the end of his marriage but he's making a point, _god dammit!_

He sees her try to attempt a reproaching look for his being bloody minded but by the looks of it she can't be bothered. "Well okay not a good example. You haven't settled down."

_Who are you? My mother?_ "We're really doing this are we? Alright, I'm messed up and scared that I'll turn into me Dad, plus I do a job that tells me people really shouldn't reproduce."

_EVER. Repeatedly tells me not to, or marry, well Mum and Dad proved that but I guess I turned out okay._

"Yeah, you really are fucked."

He laughs and for a moment everything is normal until he see her pull herself together.

"He was phoning me from the pub."

_Of course he was. _

For a moment wonders if the DI would be open to chucking a few lousy cases Winnett's way but he isn't completely sure she would do that no questions asked. He finishes off the rest of his mouth full. "The prick called you from the pub? He left you standin' about while he was on '_shift_', then calls you from the pub to dump you?" he winces internally at the last bit.

_There will be pain involved. _

"The fucker needs a lesson in manners. I've never liked him."

Winnett has never liked Matt, from the first day Matt joined the station. He thought Matt was a 'pretty boy' and basically didn't like the way all the women in the office suddenly were too busy to help him with the jobs he couldn't be bothered to do because DS Devlin had asked them for a favour. Matt on the other hand thought Winnett was a lousy copper who coasted on his partner and thought he was better than the rest. Plus you have a long way to come back from when you've called Matt a pretty boy to his face.

Matt thinks it's best to end the conversation before he starts seriously considering the death of a fellow plod.

"You're better off without him." _Jesus, you'd be better off with herpes_. "Isn't that what I'm supposed to say in this situation?" He figures in absence of a girlfriend that'll do for Ange.

He can't believe he's still hungry but figures it's the smell of good food, pulling Ange's untouched lunch he takes a bite. "You gotta eat something babe."

It's a ghost of a smile and she says she isn't feeling hungry and Matt tries distracting her to see if that will entice her appetite into fighting its way back.

Ronnie turns up and orders lunch to go before wandering over to their table. He budges Matt round in his usual belligerent way, making Matt move and get the extra chair, Matt moans although he knows it doesn't make a blind bit of difference and grabs the Metro off a nearby table, studiously ignoring the looks of amusement that pass between Ronnie and Ange.

The door opens again and now Matt has a clear view of the customers, he feels Ange tense at the sight of the guy and thinks about what nasty rumours he could start around the station, he is pretty sure Nikki would help him.

Ronnie breaks the tension and Matt is grateful for the distraction, until Lorenzo brings Ronnie his food over personally and the queue look at the guy getting the special treatment. Meaning DS Winnett is now eyeing their table making Ange tense.

Ronnie stands and makes a meal out of putting on his coat and leaving the Cafe to distract people from what he wants to tell Matt. Ronnie's good, he'll give the guy that. Matt hides his smirk, this is something he _can_ do.

Easy.

He moves his chair a bit closer to Ange, not too close but just enough to border on invading her personal space and then throws his arm up to rest on the back of her chair.

Ronnie tells him to behave himself like he is some testosterone fuelled teenage boy with his dad's car and first girlfriend. Ronnie just looks at him like he a slightly slow child and he figures that if anyone besides from Ange knows how ill-behaved he actually his it's Ronnie, there is just no coming back from the sex in the library story.

He brushes it aside using the opportunity to flirt with Ange, pushing himself into her space and making sure he's heavy on the pet names.

He can sense the moment Angie catches on and pray's she is too embarrassed to actually say anything. Ronnie passes the window smirking and gives a cheery good luck wave.

Matt thinks he's got away with it for a second before she leans in and hisses at him. "What on earth are you playing at?"

He tries to look innocent but realises that this isn't his Nan, Ange doesn't buy his bullshit, ever, it's like she is immune and he drops the expression sharpish.

"Don't you dare Devlin." She sounds a little like is headmistress and Matt smiles to himself. This Ange he can deal with, he hopes.

"Okay, well trust me, as a bloke, the worth thing to see is the girl we thought was hung up on us has actually moved on."

Matt is aware that this isn't completely true and there are caveats to this, but he knows guys like Winnett and the guy doesn't like him and Matt's not big headed but he knows it's got something to do with his looks and that he's well liked at the station. Also a guy like Andy Winnett would think like the tosser he is, and mostly likely thinks he is the best is Ange is going get.

What DS Winnett doesn't understand is that one of these days Ange is going to strike it lucky with someone much better and far more deserving than Winnett or even Matt. She's got a heart of gold and deserves someone worthy. So this is going to be a kick in the nuts for Andy.

He watches her, there are so many emotions on her face he can't tell if she's going to slap him or kiss him. He could make either work for them but this is Ange and he is pretty sure that her kissing him is out of the question. The last time he kissed her she went scarlet.

Then he sees a smirk creep onto her face as she feels the sweet scent of revenge settle in her tummy.

_Result_.

He can't help the smug smile that appears and doesn't care even when she gives him a disapproving look.

"Okay so you win, but you know this is going to spread like wildfire."

His bleedin' well counting on it. "I should bloody well hope so, I hate tame gossip about me." There is nothing worse than finding out that every time he walks into a room and people shut up is because they were discussing that him and Ronnie had another 'heated' discussion. For once he'd like it to be really scandalous.

He laughs as Ange rolls her eyes at him. She knows just how brazen he can be, it's one of his charms.

Leaving the Cafe is far more fun than it has any right being, usually he'd hate finishing lunch to head back to the station but Ange is smiling now and Matt feels that all is right with the world again.

He makes a deal out of paying, it's not actually a deal at all seeing as he always pays when him drags Agne out to eat with him. It's his way of saying thank you for the good company (and to listening to him prattle on about his crappy life) but he wants to make a point to certain people. He spots Andy and the lads watching the pair of them and feels some satisfaction for Ange. He catches she is about to look and recognises that small move alone could blow it for the both of them.

Quickly he whispers in her ear distracting her from her current course "Laugh like I've said something dirty."

She looks completely flummoxed but he can't wait any longer for her to comply, squeezing her waist induces the most gorgeous, unaffected and filthy giggle he's heard in a long time, he grins at her with what he hopes has the right amount of leering added to make it what he knows his Nan would call saucy. Loving the way Ange is endearingly disconcerted with herself.

One of the vices guys mumbles "Devlin and Ange?" and his brain does a little victory dance. He turns pretending to be slightly abashed at being caught out on a lunch date, and plays it cool with a "Alrigh' lads, see you back at the station."

Outside he just tucks Ange against him and she's warm, probably from being hustled out of a warm cafe in record time.

He looks down at her and she's smiling, there is a glow to her cheeks and she is back to being his Ange, not the tearful girl she was an hour ago.

"Feel better?"

She beams up at him and he feels good. "Yeah, I do actually. It was good to stick it in his face." She really means it, but this guilty frown emerges. "Is that bad?"

He knows deep down Ange isn't spiteful or bitter and this isn't the kind of thing she would do, but sometimes when life bites you, you just have to bite back. "Nah, he needed it shoved somewhere, his face is far more polite than where I was thinking."

She laughs at him and he's pretty sure she'll be okay now. She had a wobble this morning but true to form his Ange got back on the bike. He gets to thinking on the way back that there is one more thing he could do, just for Ange, that hopefully will put that pillock DS Winnett to rest.

He creeps up on Ange as she's getting ready to leave, he and Ronnie have been out all afternoon at some old knockin' shop and he practically gave Ronnie a heart attack dragging the guy back to the station trying to make it in time to catch Angela.

Ronnie thought it was nice what he was doing but told him, "no funny stuff sunshine." Matt laughed then realised that Ronnie was serious. "I promise you that there will be no funny stuff, just two friends at the theatre."

He hands over the envelope watching as she figures out what it's all about. He tries out the quote he'd been memorising all afternoon.

She looks taken aback and he guesses she didn't have him down as an Oscar Wilde guy. "You've read Oscar Wilde?" once, back in school and only because his incredibly attractive English teacher had made them.

He could lie, but this is Ange and he's pretty sure she sees right through him, plus who the hell is he trying to impress?

"I read google."

She laughs at him and suddenly he realises that she might not want to go with him, what with him not having the foggiest about the play. He tells her she is more than welcome to take a girlfriend but he thought it would be nice for it to be just them. Him, her and a packet of Maltesers.

She looks at him like his daft and its just like normal, it's comforting how some things just don't change.

"Result. I'll swing by here and meet you about six? We can walk up there together." She smiles at him and he remembers something he feels was important to her. "Oh and I expect to see those shoes you kept sneaking a look at on Wednesday."

She rolls her eyes at him but she is smiling and he knows that he did the right thing.

**Epilogue**

He's dug out his navy blue suit, the one he usually reserves for Weddings and the white shirt he wore to Pete's funeral, figuring it needed a better occasion to be remembered for. He jogs up the stairs, he's a little early but he wanted to get there in time to have a drink beforehand, if he has to sit through this play he's going to need alcohol. _Sorry Ronnie_. Also he figures he can maybe find out how Ange feels about Paul on the evidence locker desk.

The office is still full of people and he thinks this might have been a bit of a bad idea but then see's Ange and gets why his doing this. She looks lovely, just perfect for a night out at the theatre, she can barely stand in the new shoes. Handing her the flowers he bought at the train station quickly remembering his Mum's face when he bought her flowers for mother's day and thought that Ange needed to smile like that.

He tells her to leave them at the office, as carrying those around all night is going to do his head in.

The Guv catches them as they're about to leave and gives him a look like there is a case she could give him, "You aren't on shift for another six hours?"

"We're off to the theatre." No doubt she'll have a particularly delightful case for him and Ronnie to round off tonight.

Matt hides his smile as Ange trips over herself to tell DI Chandler they're only going as friends. He'd be insulted if he didn't know Ange so well, plus Chandler looks like she's going pinch their cheeks any second and he'd like to get out of here before he boss does finds something else for him to be doing. DI Chandler has an evil streak, he just knows it.

He hears a voice from the back of the office shout "Devlin doesn't know how to do _friends_ with anyone who has tits."

_Oi! And also, not in front of The Guv._

"Do to." Matt tries for indignant, although he isn't sure why he bothers, it's nothing he doesn't hear daily from this lot. He grabs Ange's hand and marches them towards the door, but he can't resist retorting , after all his partner isn't here. "I'm friends with Ronnie ain't I?"

There's a boom of laughter followed by a few hisses at his bitchy remark, Angie cackles along as she follows.

Tonight is looking to be a good laugh with good company, now roll on the weekend.

**THE END**


End file.
